Appetite Loss in Toddlers

Loss of appetite in a toddler is usually normal.

Feeding a toddler can be a challenge. Seemingly overnight, your good little eater turns into Mr. Picky. As you watch him push away foods that used to be favorites, turn up his nose at anything green and absolutely refuse to try anything new, you wonder if he can really survive on what seems like a handful of food each day. Most of the time, a decrease in appetite in toddlerhood is normal, but if your child is pale, lethargic or tired all the time, see his doctor.

Why Appetite Drops

A toddler doesn't need to eat as much or as often as he did as an infant. His appetite drops because his growth rate slows. If he kept up the growth rate of the first year, when he tripled his weight and doubled his height, he'd be around 60 pounds and 5 feet tall at age 2. Since he'll grow just 3 inches and gain 3 to 5 pounds between the ages of 1 and 2, his appetite will decrease. To achieve this gain, he needs to consume between 1,000 to 1,400 calories per day, according to the KidsHealth from Nemours website.

Parental Perceptions

If you're expecting your toddler to keep eating like he did the first year, you might interpret a normal decrease in food intake as a lack of appetite. The average toddler needs just 2 ounces per day of a protein source, 3 ounces of grains, 1 cup each of fruits and vegetables and 2 cups of milk at age 2, according to KidsHealth. Fruit juice counts as part of his fruit intake. If you add up everything he eats during the day, you might realize that he's getting the nutrition he needs, even though it doesn't seem like he's eating much.

Normal Appetite Loss

Your toddler might simply be too busy to want to eat. The world begins to open up to a toddler, who's generally mobile under his own steam. With rooms to explore and mischief to make, your toddler might be more interested in keeping going than stopping to eat. Make it easier to keep up his calorie intake by putting out a mini-smorgasbord of food that he can eat on the run. Use a muffin tin to hold cut-up vegetables, healthy cereals, pieces of fruit or tiny sandwiches. Toddlers often do better with grazing than sitting down to a full meal, pediatrician and author Dr. William Sears explains.

Other Causes

The most common medical cause of appetite loss in toddlers is iron-deficiency anemia. A low iron count is common in toddlers who don't eat enough iron-rich foods, such as meat or fortified cereals. Anemia can cause lack of appetite as well as a decrease in energy and paleness. A blood test can diagnose anemia. If he's still drinking bottles, he might be getting too many calories from cow's milk, which contains no iron and also decreases his appetite for other foods. Too much juice can have the same effect; limit juice intake to 4 to 6 ounces per day and milk intake to 16 to 24 ounces per day.

About the Author

A registered nurse with more than 25 years of experience in oncology, labor/delivery, neonatal intensive care, infertility and ophthalmology, Sharon Perkins has also coauthored and edited numerous health books for the Wiley "Dummies" series. Perkins also has extensive experience working in home health with medically fragile pediatric patients.